Five Recommendations To Grow Your Devotional Life

In just a few short days, we will begin a brand new year. An oft made resolution, is to tune up, launch, and improve a daily time with God (which includes spending time in prayer and in Bible Study). As with any other healthy habit, you need three things to make it work.

You need a PLAN – some kind of pattern to follow that has been proven to work.

You need a COACH – someone who is ahead of you in their skill who will provide input and advice.

You need a COMMUNITY – people who are in it together with you.

These three keys are important in any healthy change: exercise, diet, athletic development, musical development, and especially spiritual development.

As we start this new year, many of us are joining together in 31-days-of-prayer. If you join with us, you have already tackled #3 on the list. You will have a ‘community’ that is on this journey with you. Now let me recommend some aspects of the plan.

For me personally, I have found five resources to be incredibly helpful.

#1 – THE ONE YEAR BIBLE – You can purchase this or use it free online (visit oneyearbibleonline.com or use the plan in the youversion.com Bible app). In just 15 minutes (approximately) a day, you can cover the entire Bible in a year. Every day you get a few chapters in the Old Testament, a few in the New Testament, and a Psalm and Proverb.

#2 – PRAYING WITH CONFIDENCE – the book that I recently wrote, I originally wrote for myself. These are 31 biblical prayer patterns so that you can have some content to your prayer life and also have variety in your approach to prayer. This book helps you pray more consistently, just like the One Year Bible helps you read the Bible more consistently. You can order the book at prayingwithconfidence.com.

#3 – S.O.A.P Journal – Wayne Cordeiro teaches a fantastic method for scripture meditation in his book entitled THE DIVINE MENTOR. He teaches how to do basic journaling through a simple four step process.

#4 – Scheduled Times Of Fasting & Prayer – every good discipline needs an appointment. You need to decide when and where you will pray and for how long. Fasting days also add great momentum and clarity to your spiritual life. During the 31 days of prayer season, we are encouraging everyone to fast on Wednesdays (from Tuesday after dinner until dinner on Wednesday) and to use the time when you would normally eat to spend extra moments with God.

#5 – Corporate Worship & Prayer Gatherings – the finally thing to add some juice to your walk with God is to get into the presence of God with a group of others who are passionate to worship.

All five of these practice will help take your spiritual life to a whole new level!